LTA to ban transgender women from playing in most domestic female competitions Trending Global News

Transgender women will be banned from playing in the women’s division at most domestic tennis competitions in Britain from next month.

Current Lawn Tennis Association rules allow players to self-identify, but from January 25, 2025, trans women and non-binary individuals assigned male at birth will only be allowed to compete in the men’s division at specified competitions.

These include leagues and tournaments in tennis and paddle ranging from national championships to local level involving players from different clubs and venues.

Intra-venue events such as club championships and social tournaments have been designated non-specified and it will be up to individual venues to decide their own policy.

The LTA does not have jurisdiction over international events such as Wimbledon or ATP, WTA or International Tennis Federation tournaments, so this policy will only apply to domestic tennis.

Currently, trans women are allowed to compete in the women’s division at WTA and ITF events, provided they meet restrictions on testosterone levels.

The LTA has made opening tennis to all sections of society its main strategy, but has cited physical male advantages, including longer levers and increased cardio-vascular capacity, as reasons for the policy change.

“It is clear that tennis and paddle are gender-affected sports – the average man has an advantage when playing against the average woman,” it said in a statement.

“The current broad consensus, including the findings of the review conducted by the Sports Council Equality Group, is that this advantage is likely to persist to a significant degree in trans women, making competition potentially unfair.

“We are changing our policy to ban trans women and non-binary individuals assigned male at birth from playing in the women’s division in specified, inter-venue, competitions.

“We want to encourage local venues to ensure they are as inclusive as possible for trans and non-binary individuals, providing opportunities to compete in a friendly environment. In line with this, our own local tennis league product (large played in parks on a large scale) will remain completely inclusive.”

The new policy is the result of an 18-month process that included consultation with affected groups and other sports, and the LTA has pledged to review the policy going forward.

“We recognize the diversity of opinion on this matter and want to reassure the tennis community that the LTA will continue to listen to all views and review the policy in response to emerging research and data, and further guidance from other relevant bodies.” ” the statement concluded.

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